Drunken driving can be prevented

Published 12:00 am, Thursday, September 9, 2010

Shortly after reading the Sept. 5 Perspective article, "Booze cruise," I saw a commercial depicting intoxicated drivers submerged to the neck in alcohol.

Produced for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this commercial states that "Cops everywhere are stepping up enforcement and cracking down like never before," and concludes with a warning; "Make no mistake: You will be caught, and you will be arrested."

Yet the article declares that there is a mere .0021 percent chance of being arrested for DWI in New York despite such efforts to combat this epidemic.

Having recently received my learner's permit, I find the thought of dealing with drunken drivers in addition to the myriad of hazards I already must face more than alarming. I deserve the opportunity to learn without drunken drivers adding to the potential danger of the open road.

Young drivers need role models. Instead, we are bombarded by tragic accounts of the effects of drunken driving on a daily basis. Turn on the evening news, and chances are an alcohol-related incident will be reported.

Is it really so hard to call a cab? Is it really so hard to assign a designated driver?

I may be young, but I simply do not understand why so many horror stories are born of such a preventable problem.